Case study Revision Booklet for Physical Geography Unit: You MUST know all of the following case studies for the examination in DETAIL.

Ice on the Land Tectonics Coasts

Retreat of a glacier: Mer De Glace

- Causes of the retreat.

- Evidence of the retreat.

Case Study for range of Fold Mountains: Alps

-The ways in which they are used – tourism/farming/HEP/

mining.

- How well people adapt to limited communication, steep re-

lief, and poor soils.

Coastal Flooding: Bangladesh / UK

Alpine Area used for winter sports and glacial sight see-

ing: Chamonix

- Winter attractions in the area.

- Social, economic and environmental impacts of tourism.

- Management strategies in the area.

- Success of these strategies.

A case study of a volcano: Mount St Helens

Primary and secondary effects.

Positive and negative impacts. Immediate and long

term responses.

Monitoring and predicting eruptions

Coastal Erosion and cliff collapse: Holderness Coast

LEDC Earthquake – Haiti, 2010

Specific causes

Primary / secondary effects

Immediate and long term responses.

The need to predict/protect and prepare.

Coastal Management: Holderness, East Yorkshire

MEDC Earthquake – Tohoku, 2011

Specific causes

Primary / secondary effects

Immediate and long term responses.

The need to predict/protect and prepare.

Coastal Habitat: Studland Bay

Case Study of Tsunamis: 2011 Japan

Cause/ effects / responses

Case study for retreat of a glacier since the mid-nineteenth century: Mer De Glace

Location of the Mer De Glace (3)

Located in the French Alps close to the Italian

border.

It is on the north side of Mont Blanc.

It extends along the Chamonix valley.

What is the little ice age?

1550 – 1850

Period of cooler global temperatures.

Reduction of approximately 5 degrees Celsius.

What is the history of the Mer De Glace

1550 – 1850

Little Ice Age

Cooler global climate.

Glacier extends to the village of

Chamonix.

Length -13KM

Depth -550 m in Mid-section

1850 -1940

Natural increase in global temper-

ature.

Glacier retreats as ablation is

greater than accumulation causing a

negative balance.

1940 - 1970

1970 - 1980

1980 - Present

An increase in greenhouse gases

causes global warming. An increase

in global temperatures accelerates

the retreat of the glacier e.g. 1996

– 2005 loss of 370 m.

Cooler period causing a slowing of

the retreat of the Mer de Glace.

Accumulation begins to increase.

Cooler period caused a temporary

150m advance of the glacier as accu-

mulation begins to increase due to

less melting and more precipitation

falling as snow. This causes a positive

annual balance.

Causes of the retreat of the Mer De Glace.

A natural increase in temperature as the LIA ends in 1850, and temperatures further increase

from 1980’s due to global warming.

Changes in climate alter the balance of a glacier by changing the temperature and precipitation.

Increased temperatures reduce the accumulation (inputs) of the glacier as warmer winters mean

less precipitation falls as snow and a warmer climate means a greater melting period increasing

the ablation (outputs) due to melt water and calving.

Greater ablation than accumulation = negative annual balance (retreat)

Evidence of the retreat of the Mer De Glace .

Glacier has been painted and photographed and mapped over the last 150 years from Chamonix –

a popular tourist resort showing it retreating.

Ridges of terminal moraine left by the glacier shows the retreat.

Terminal moraine has acted like a natural dam and has created 2 glacial lakes from the increased

melt water from the glacier from 2004.

The entrance to the tunnels under the glacier are constantly altered due to the retreat.

The major tributary of the glacier has little input.

There is a noticeable drop in the height of the ice since the 1980’s.

Example Exam Question: Describe the retreat of a glacier which you have studied.

Chamonix, French Alps: a case study for tourism in an Alpine area used for winter sports and glacial sight seeing.

Background of Chamonix (3)

South of the French Alps.

Lured tourists since 1750’s

Winter season is between December

and May

Winter numbers grow to 60,000

Winter Attractions of Chamonix

(Link to scenery)

- Steep glaciated valley provides

good Intermediate (blue) and expert

(black) ski runs around the town.

- No runs directly into town but

there is good access to 354 runs via

49 ski lifts/cable cars.

- Access to the Mer De Glace via the

“little red train” in central Chamonix.

Access to the tunnels underneath

the glacier.

-The Aiguille de Midi cable car- takes

passengers up towards Mont Blanc.

Top observation tower, see summit.

- Large variety of accommodation.

- Good range of shopping facilities,

including a range of food and drink

outlets.

Management Strategies and Success.

1.Tomorrows Valley

- Bury services such as electricity cables SO

reduces visual pollution connected to resort.

- Limit the number of ski resorts in Chamonix

SO it does not exceed the carrying capacity and

put too much pressure on services/create ten-

sion between tourists and locals.

- Planting Trees scheme SO the effects of de-

forestation are reduced and there is less chance

of avalanche.

2. Sustainable Building Methods

- Use local materials – local stone and timber in

construction SO visual pollution is reduced as

the resort will blend more into the local environ-

ment.

- Hotels in Chamonix must include energy saving

techniques e.g. energy saving bulbs/solar panels

SO reduce CO2 emissions in the valley.

3. Transport

- Free buses to all visitors staying in the resort

via a pass SO encourages use of public transport

instead of cars, reducing Carbon emissions.

- All buses are fixed with carbon filters SO

they give out less CO2 reducing the amount of

pollution.

Impacts of tourism on the Chamonix area.

Social Environmental Economic

Rise in population of

the village to just

under 10,000 in 2010,

putting pressure on

services.

Expansion of ski re-

sorts has affected wa-

ter levels of lakes and

streams as demand

grew beyond capacity.

Chamonix is depend-

ant upon tourism for

a source of income.

Foreign investment

is crucial.

Heavy traffic, espe-

cially with the opening

of the Mont Blanc

tunnel.

Increase in CO2

Deforestation to cre-

ate ski runs and facili-

ties. This increases the

risk of avalanches in

the valley e.g. Montroc

1999

75% of income is

due to skiing

Chamonix is a modern

town – some “Alpine

charm” remains, but

needs of tourism has

begun to erase local

culture and identity.

Damage to mountain

wildlife through de-

struction of habitat,

noise and pollution e.g.

marmot

Low unemployment

(3.7% 2007) mostly

in service industry

Expensive housing as

investors and foreign

buyers seek holiday

homes and rental

properties.

High number of accom-

modation accounts for

half of carbon emis-

sions in the valley.

Investment in public

services and infra-

structure which lo-

cal people can bene-

fit from.

Rural-urban migration

is prevented. No age-

ing population as peo-

ple stay for jobs.

Snow cannons consume

thousands of gallons of

water, which reduces

water levels in feeder

lakes.

Example Exam Question:

Using a case study of an area that is covered by snow and ice,

explain issues resulting from tourism.

Case Study for an MEDC volcano: Mount St

Helens.

Timeline of events:

March 1980: Mount St Helens began to become active, shown by an earthquake which measured 4.0 on the

Richter scale.

March – May: 3 months of seismic activity. The crater began to grow in size due to small explosions of ash.

The bulge on the northern flank began to appear.

Sunday May 18th 1980: The day of the eruption. 8.32 an earthquake which measured 5.2 on the Richter scale

dislodged the cryptodome creating a landslide which released the pressure on the magma underneath.

Primary Effects:

- 57 people died in the erup-

tion.

- Loss of wildlife, including

7000 big game animals.

- Mount St Helens decreased

in size by 400m due to the

initial blast.

- The mountain was stripped

of topsoil and 24 ha of trees

were blown over by the pyro-

clastic flow.

- Spirit Lake was filled in by

ash deposits.

- 1.5 million trees blown.

Secondary Effects:

-27 bridges destroyed by the land-

slide.

- Columbia River reduced from

40ft to 17ft due to ash washed

downstream.

- 150 mile of road and 15 miles of

railway were destroyed.

- The total cost came to approxi-

mately $2 billion.

- 150 houses destroyed.

- Symptoms of depression arose in

the area putting pressure on exist-

ing health services.

- tourism and agriculture suffered

in the following years.

Cascade Mountain Range

-North West of USA

- Washington State.

-Cascade Mountain Range.

-Destructive Plate margin.

- Juan de Fuca Plate meets the North American Plate.

- Causes subductionand the formation of the volcanic Cascade Mountain Range.

Immediate Responses

- Houses were re-built + people were

rehomed.

- Removal of ash ($2million) from major

transport routes.

- Ash removed is placed into old quar-

ries and landfill, and then landscaped

over.

- Columbia River was dredged and re-

stocked with fish.

- Strewn trees are recovered and used

by loggers for timber to rebuild houses

etc.

Long Term Responses

- Encouraged tourism with new visitor centres

e.g. Johnston visitors centre, and a new tour-

ist information centre.

- They continue to actively monitor the volcano

for further action.

- 100 acre monument was set up in the blast

area to protect it for the future.

- 10 million plants were replanted in the blast

area.

- A large part of the area has been left to

grow back naturally.

Positive and Negative Impacts

+ve -ve

Tourism boosted in the

Long term more visitor

centres .

Monitoring methods have

improved e.g. use of satellites rather than people.

Long-term, land more

fertile due to ash

deposits

Logging industry contin-

ued as trees not dam-

aged, just blown over.

Landscape dam-

aged, it will take

years to recover.

Loss of family

and friends,

people require

counselling

Damage to national

and local economy

Case Study for range of Fold

Mountains: The Alps

Location of the Alps:

The Alps is a fold

mountain range that

runs across central

Europe.

Formation of the Alps:

They were formed 30 million years ago

when the African plate collided with the

Eura-

sian

plate

Issues Facing the people there

FARMING

The steep upland areas are used to farm goats, which provide milk, cheese and meat.

Some sunnier terraces, which have been carved into the mountains, have vineyards which produce grapes for wine.

HEP

The narrow valleys are dammed to generate HEP [Hydro-Electric Power] in the Berne area in Switzerland.

Switzerland gets 60% of all its power from HEP in the Alps.

The electricity produced is used locally to power homes and businesses. Its also exported to towns and cities further away.

MINING

Salt, iron ore, gold, silver and copper were mined in the Alps, but the mining has declined dramatically due to cheaper foreign sources.

FORESTRY

Scots pine is planted all over the Alps because its more resilient to the munching goats, which kill native tree saplings. The trees are logged and

sold to make things like furniture.

TOURISM

•100 million tourists visit the Alps each year making tourism a huge part of the economy.

•70% of tourists visit the steep, snow covered mountains in the winter for skiing, snow boarding and ice climbing. In the summer tourists visit for

walking, mountain biking, paragliding and climbing.

•New villages have been built to cater for the increasing number of tourists e.g. Tignes in France.

•Ski runs, ski lifts, cable cars, holiday chalets and restaurants are all over the landscape.

PROBLEMS AND ADAPTA-

TIONS

STEEP RELIEF: Goats are

farmed there because they’re

well adapted to live on steep

mountains.

POOR SOILS: Animals are

grazed in most high areas as the

soil isn’t very good for growing

crops.

LIMITED COMUNICATIONS:

Roads have been built over pass-

es [low points between moun-

tains] e.g. The Brenner pass be-

tween Austria and Italy. It

takes a long time to drive over

passes and they can be blocked

by snow and so tunnels have been

cut through the mountains to

provide fast transport e.g. Mont

Blanc Tunnel

Case Study for an MEDC earthquake: Tohoku, Japan

11th March 2011, 14:46

Magnitude: 9.0

Located 130 KM east of Sendai.

Destructive plate margin: Pacific Plate and Eurasian

Primary Effects:

Up to 15,800 people died, 27,000 people in-

jured and 5960 still missing.

The earthquake caused approximately $200-

300 billion in damages.

Approximately 135,000 buildings were com-

pletely destroyed, including 11 hospitals.

Approximately 1 million buildings affect-

ed in some way.

4 trains were derailed, and 20,000 people

were stranded.

The Tohoku Shinkansen was hit, with an esti-

mated 1,100 sections of the line, varying

from collapsed station roofs to bent

power pylons, needing repairs.

Secondary Effects

Fujimuna dam fractured, and washed away 5

homes killing 12 people.

4.4 million homes without electricity, and phone

lines were down meaning people could not

contact emergency services for assistance.

300,000 people were made homeless.

All Eastern ports were closed but later re-

opened. 10% of Japan’s fishing and export

industry damaged due to a loss of ships and

key infrastructure e.g. Sendai port.

Caused a tsunami wave which devastated entire

towns.

Hospitals were over-run so operations were con-

ducted in corridors.

Example exam question:

Compare the responses of an earthquake in a rich part of

the world to those of a poor part of the world.

Must talk about both immediate and long – term respons-

es.

Immediate Responses

- Japanese government organise 1,350 shelters in schools

for more than 215,000.

- The shelters were poorly equipped, not having enough

food, water and medical supplies.

- A "state of emergency" is declared after the Fukushima

reactor, suffers a cooling system failure. Around 3,000

people are evacuated from a 6.2-mile exclusion zone

- Earthquake warning system alerted people of the tsuna-

mis wave.

- Japan's government launches a massive rescue mission

mobilising thousands of troops, 300 planes and 40 ships

- A team of 59 UK search and rescue specialists and med-

ics flies out. 11 tonnes of bottled water, and medical

equipment.

- Japanese government organise 1,350 shelters in schools

for more than 215,000 stranded people.

Long-term Responses

- Japanese stocks nosedive. The Bank of Japan moves to stabilise markets by injecting £114.4 billion

into the stock markets.

- NGO Architecture for humanity collaborate with locals to rebuild the area. Generate jobs and

business e.g. Hikado Market place.

- Japanese government start the clean up of the nuclear plant and restore the cooling system.

- Save The Children launches an appeal to raise £1 million for Japan's youngsters.

- Government builds temporary prefabs to house people in shelters, including 10,000 in Miyagi and

19,000 in Fukushima.

Case Study of a Tsunamis: Tohoku, 11th March 2011 14:46

-The earthquake happened 130KM East of Sendai, the capital of Miyagi ( the worst hit area).

-The earthquake lifted the sea bed by 5-8 m.

-Wave heights reaching as high as 10 m.

- Destructive plate margin – Pacific plate subducting under the Eurasian plate.

Economic Effects: Effects on money.

- Overall cost of the damage could be between $200 – 300 billion.

- Infrastructure was damaged, including the flooding of Sendai airport, slowing the provision of aid and at a

massive expense.

- Damage to the ports including Sendai port, this had a negative impact on Japan’s import/ export business.

- Companies such as Sony halted manufacturing due to power cuts and boats which had been washed ashore.

This impacted negatively on the local economy.

- Due to the radiation leak at Fukushima, countries such as the US stopped al food imports from Japan,

impacting on the country’s GDP.

- 90% of the fishing industry in Tohoku was gone, as boats and key infrastructure washed ashore.

Social Effects: Effects on people.

Approximately 15,800 people died, and it was estimated that 90% was by drowning.

Whole coastal towns disappeared, over 135,000 buildings completely destroyed including 11 hospitals.

Over 500,000 homeless.

Missing people e.g. 9,500 missing from one town called Minam.

People who lived within 20KM of the Fukushima plant were evacuated out after radiation leaked from the

plant.

Immediate Responses.

Government issued a tsunamis warning 3 minutes after the earth-

quake, allowing people to try to get to tsunamis walls.

91 countries offered aid, including the UK who sent 59 search and

rescue specialists with 11 tonnes of food, water and medical supplies.

Repairs began on the damage to infrastructure – 6 days to fix the

damaged motorway.

Government mobilised the self-defence force to search for survivors.

Long-term Responses:.

The government is improving the tsunamis defences as 40% were too

low to stop the wave.

Japanese stocks nosedive. The Bank of Japan moves to stabilise mar-

kets by injecting £114.4 billion into the stock markets.

NGO Architecture for humanity collaborate with locals to rebuild the

area. Generate jobs and business e.g. Hikado Market place.

Japanese government start the clean-up of the nuclear plant and re-

store the cooling system.

Save The Children launches an appeal to raise £1 million for Japan's

youngsters.

Government builds temporary prefabs to house people in shelters,

including 10,000 in Miyagi and 19,000 in Fukushima.

Physical Effects: Effects on the environment.

Fukushima I and II suffered hydrogen explosions due to a cooling failure causing radiation to leak out.

Radiation affected local food and water sources.

It was advised that people do not drink the local water as there were higher radiation levels which could

harm young children.

23,000 ha of farmland were flooded. Salt left behind could affect the yield for years to come.

PRIMARY EFFECT

•About 220 000 people were killed 300

000 injured.

•The main port was badly damaged,

along with many roads that were

blocked by fallen buildings and smashed

vehicles.

•8 hospitals collapsed and many govern-

ment buildings as well as 100 000 homes

destroyed. 1.3 million Haitians were dis-

placed.

SECONDARY EFFECT

•Over 2 million Haitians were left without food or water. Looting

became a serious problem.

•The destruction of government building made it difficult for the

government to control the situation.

•Damage to the port and roads made it difficult for critical aid

supplies and immediate help to get to the places it was needed.

•Displaced people moved into tents and disease became a huge

problem with outbreaks of Cholera by November 2010. This was

partly due to the dead bodies being left in the collapsed buildings

and streets.

PREPARE AND PROTECT

•Haiti wasn’t prepared for the earthquake be-

cause none had happened in living memory.

•The weak government had very little money.

•The capital Port-au-Prince was overcrowded

home to more than 2.5 million, the homes were

crammed together and poorly built and not

specifically designed to withstand an earth-

quake.

LONG-TERM RESPONSES

•Two years later Haiti was still dependent on over-

seas aid.

•Huge amounts of foreign investment was needed to

rebuild homes [which needed to be earthquake re-

sistant], roads, railways, hospitals and government

buildings.

Foreign governments worried about supplying money

as the government was unorganised.

SPECIFIC CAUSE

An earthquake measuring 7.0 struck close to Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. January 10th 2010

The earthquake occurred at a destructive plate boundary between the Caribbean and North

American Plate.

•Half of Caribbean island of His-

paniola

•Population of 10 million people

•Most live on less than $2 a day

•History of violence, instability

and dictatorship

•Democratic rule restored in

2006

•Economy in ruins and unemploy-

ment is chronic

•Massive deforestation has left

just 2% forest

•Prone to natural disasters e.g.

hurricanes in 2008 left almost

800 dead

Haiti Earthquake—LEDC Example

Holderness Coast—Coastal Management

THE STRATEGIES HAVE BEEN VERY

SUCESSFUL LOCALLY BUT HAVE

CAUSED PROBLEMS ELSEWHERE

•Groynes protect local areas but cause

narrow beaches to form further down

the Holderness coast which increases

erosion at these points e.g. Cowden Farm

to the south of Mapleton is now at risk

of falling into the sea.

•The material produced from erosion of

the Holderness coastline normally is

transported south into the Humber Es-

tuary and down the Lincolnshire coast.

Reducing the amount of material that is

eroded and transported increases the

chances of flooding in the Humber estu-

ary because there is less material to

slow flood water down.

•Spurn head is at risk of being eroded

away entirely as there is not enough ma-

terial now being added to it.

•Bays are forming between the protect-

ed areas effectively making the protect-

ed areas headlands which are then more

exposed to erosion. Keeping them safe is

becoming more and more expensive.

A case study of an area of recent or threatened cliff collapse, rates of coastal erosion, reasons

why some areas are susceptible to under cutting by the sea and collapse and how people may

worsen the situation and the impact on peoples life's and the environment.

MAIN REASONS FOR EROSION

•The ‘boulder clay’ rock is easily eroded and slumps when wet causing the cliffs to collapse.

•The area has naturally narrow beaches; beaches reduce and slow down waves so having narrow beaches

gives less protection.

•People are worsening the situation building groynes up the coastline which traps beach material there mean-

ing other places further down the coastline are left with less protection.

•Powerful waves travel from the north east all the way from the Arctic Ocean, they have a long fetch. As

they travel they build in power and so batter the coastline by the time they arrive.

AREA DETAILS

•The Holderness coastline is a 61km long stretch of coastline from Flamborough Head [headland] to Spurn

Point [spit].

•Erosion is causing cliff collapse along this stretch of coastline and the waves are washing material away

causing the cliffs to retreat.

•About 1.8m is lost to the sea each year, however at Great Cowden erosion has occurred at 10m per year in

recent years.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

•Some SSSI’s [Sites of Specific Scientific Interest] are threatened e.g. the lagoons near Easington are

part of an SSSI. The lagoons are separated from the sea by a narrow strip of sand and shingle [a bar]. If

this is eroded it will connect the lagoons to the sea and the habitat will be lost.

Holderness Coastal Management 2

BRIDLINGTON

Protected from flooding

by a 4.7km long seawall

as well as wooden

groynes.

HORNSEA

There is a sea wall as well

as rock armour and wooden

groynes that protect the

village from erosion and

flooding.

WITHENSEA

There are groynes to create

a wider beach and a sea wall.

Some rock armour was

placed in front of the sea

wall after it was damaged by

severe storms in 1992.

MAPPLETON

Two rock groynes were built

in 1991. They cost £2 million

and were built to protect

the village and main road

from coastal flooding and

erosion.

SPURN HEAD

Is protected by groynes and

a rock armour. This also pro-

tects the Humber Estuary

behind Spurn Head.

HARD ENGINEERING STRATEGIES HAVE BEEN

USED IN HOLDERNESS

IMPACTS ON PEOPLES LIVES

•Homes near the cliffs are at risk of col-

lapsing into the sea.

•Property prices along the coastline have

fallen for those homes at risk of erosion.

•Accessibility to some settlements along

the coastline has been affected because

roads near the cliff top are at risk of

collapsing into the sea.

•Businesses are at risk from erosion so

people will loose their jobs e.g. the cara-

van park at Ulrome is loosing on average

10 pitches a year.

•The gas terminal at Easington is at risk

[it’s only 25m from the cliff edge]. This

terminal accounts for 25% of Britain’s

gas supply.

•80 000m² of farmland is lost every

year. This has a huge impact on farmers

livelihoods.

Studland Bay

A case study of coastal habitat, its environ-

mental characteristics, resulting habitat, spe-

cies which inhabit it and reasons why. Strate-

gies to ensure the environment is conserved

but also allows sustainable use of the area.

LAND USE CONFLICTS AND THE NEED FOR CONSERVATION

•Lots of people walk across the dunes which damages and erodes them. So the National Trust

have –

1] Put boardwalks down to guide people over the dunes and protects the sand below.

2] Some sand dunes have been fenced off and marram grass has been plated in them to help sta-

bilise and protect them.

3] Information signs have been put up to let visitors know how important the sand dune habitat is

and how they can enjoy the area without damaging it.

•Hundreds of boats use Studland bay and their anchors damage the sea grass where the sea hors-

es breed. Seahorses are protected by law and so boat owners are told how to avoid damaging the

grass.

•The heathland behind the dunes is also a very important habitat and yet this area can easily be

damaged by fires caused by cigarettes e.g in 2008 a fire destroyed 6 aches of land. The National

Trust is educating visitors on the dangers of causing fires and has provided fire beaters to extin-

guish flames.

STUDLAND BAY

•Studland Bay is in Dorset in the south west of

England.

•It’s mostly sheltered from highly erosive waves

but the southern end is being eroded.

•There are sandy beaches around the bay with

sands dunes and heathland behind.

•The heathland is a Site of Specific Scientific Re-

search [SSSR] and a nature reserve.

•Studland Bay is a popular tourist destination.

HABITAT CHARATERISTICS

•Reptiles like adders, grass snakes, sand lizards and slow worms are found here.

•Birds like Dartford warblers [a rare bird], Shelducks and Grebes are found here.

•Fish like seahorses – Studland Bay is the only place in Britain where the spiny

seahorse breeds.

•Plants like marram grass and lyme grass are found on the sand dunes and heather

on the heathland.

ENIVIRONMENTAL ADAPTATIONS

•Marram grass has folded leaves to reduce water loss from tran-

spiration because the dunes are dry and windy which would in-

crease transpiration. It also has long roots to take up water and

stabilise them within the shifting dunes.

•Lyme grass has waxy leaves which reduces transpiration.

•Grebe birds dive underwater to find food and have feet far back

on their bodies to make diving easier.

•Snakes and lizards have scaly skin which reduces water loss in the

very dry climate and also protects them in the rough undergrowth

of the heathland.

Bangladesh flooding, the effects of climate change.

Causes of Coastal Flooding

Storm surges = storm winds push water up and create huge waves. Forming in low pressure

systems. As global temperatures rise, severe cyclone frequency increases. Cyclones can gen-

erate waves and surges up to 7m high. These surges can travel up to 30 miles inland due to

the low topography.

Sea level rise from Global warming, leading to:

ice caps melting

and thermal expansion of ocean water.

Facts about Bangladesh

Bangladesh has approximately a 160 million people population.

An estimated 50 million people live below the poverty line.

Approximately 25% of the country floods every year in the monsoon season.

The average person in Bangladesh lives on £250 pounds a year.

Bangladesh is widely recognized to be a country most affected by global climate change.

Most land is below 12 meters in elevation

How can the effects of coastal flooding be limited in Bangladesh? (Solutions)

Better warning systems.

Grow mangrove swamps into the sea.

Build dams in the upper course of the rivers.

Build coastal sea defences.

Inhabitants have had some form of adaption, in the form of approx. 2100 cyclone

shelters that can house up to 2000 people each.

What are the causes of coastal flooding in Bangladesh?

Cyclones are common in The Bay of Bengal.

Bangladesh has very few sea defences as they are expen-

sive

Bangladesh is a low lying country.

Coastal inundation due to sea levels rising.

Three major rivers flow through Bangladesh: Ganges,

Brahmaputra, Maghna.

What are the effects of coastal flooding in Bangladesh?

Crops are destroyed by the floodwaters creating food shortages.

Many people are made homeless by the flood.

The floods cost millions of $ of damage.

Diseases such as Malaria and Cholera develop in the warm damp conditions.

Extreme coastal flooding can cause saline intrusion into aquifers.

Many people drown in the floodwaters.